This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter.
Brown’s brick buildings may offer warm visions of home, but as school assignments mount, schedules build, and sleep wanes, the lingering feelings of homesickness may rise. There are, however, many small actions that you can pursue to help suppress any homesickness as the semester progresses:
- Take your headphones or earbuds & head outside for a walk. In my mind, few activities are more restorative than listening to music, reconnecting with a friend or family member on the phone, or tuning into a podcast while enjoying the sunshine.
- Go to sleep! All feelings of homesickness are exacerbated by exhaustion. Maintaining a somewhat reliable sleep schedule and ensuring frequent restful sleep while in college can combat illness and homesickness simultaneously.
- Schedule an off-campus adventure with your friends. Consider grabbing a warm cup of coffee at Coffee Connection, visiting the local farmer’s market on the weekend, or walking around Roger Williams Park.
- Create a self-care routine in the dorm environment. Maybe a warm shower no longer has the same appeal as your shower at home, but many ways to practice self-care remain. Perhaps painting your nails, doing a face mask, writing in a gratitude journal, creating a colorful to-do list, or reading a book will do just the job.
- Write a college, Providence, or Brown-specific bucket list of fun, seasonal activities! This will be sure to imbue your mindset about college with positivity.
- Try the Nelson Fitness Center! Exercise is an ideal way to receive positive endorphins that improve your mood. The Nelson Fitness Center offers various machines, classes, and an upbeat playlist to propel you towards the best workout.
- Say hi to new people! When walking to class or getting lunch, be open to meeting new people by simply saying hello and introducing yourself. Making the Brown community smaller can begin in the most friendly ways!
